Three breakthrough tech founders received recognition for their groundbreaking ventures.
Women innovators and entrepreneurs from across Ireland were celebrated at the TechFoundHer Summit 2025 in Dublin today (14 May), where three breakthrough tech founders received recognition for their groundbreaking ventures.
More than 300 global leaders in technology, innovation, and investment gathered at the Round Room at the Mansion House for the event themed “Women Innovators Rise,” designed to accelerate the visibility and success of women-led tech ventures.
“Let’s redefine tech innovation so everyone contributes and belongs”
The summit’s highlight was the inaugural TechFoundHer Breakthrough Awards, recognising women founders who participated in the TechFoundHer Innovation Labs programme. The winners, announced by Elaine Patterson of InterTradeIreland, were selected by a judging panel including Professor Maura McAdam and Dr. Lollie Mancey.
Showcasing diverse solutions
Shelley Cowan from Fermanagh was recognised for Travel Ease, an inclusive travel tech platform improving accessibility for travellers with disabilities through verified accommodation grading.
“TechFoundHer gave me more than a toolkit, it gave me a voice,” said Cowan. “As a disabled founder, I’ve often felt unheard in tech spaces. The Innovation Labs empowered me to lead confidently, value my perspective, and position Travel Ease as a solution driven by purpose and authenticity.”
Victoria Finlay from Dublin received an award for MenoPal, an AI-powered healthtech solution transforming how over a billion women worldwide manage perimenopause and menopause symptoms.
“I didn’t begin this journey as a tech founder, but TechFoundHer changed the trajectory entirely,” Finlay explained. “It gave me the tools and belief to lead a deep tech company as a non-technical founder.”
The third winner was Claire Brannigan from Glengormley, Co Antrim, founder of Skinakin, a pioneering solution supporting families and clinicians managing childhood eczema through therapeutic products and data insights.
“The Innovation Labs Programme helped me define the vision and technical roadmap for Skinakin,” said Brannigan. “It expanded my view of what’s possible, giving me the confidence, support, and tools to build a venture with long-term impact that helps families like my own.”
Redefining tech leadership
Máirín Murray, Founder and CEO of TechFoundHer, opened the event with a challenge to outdated narratives around tech leadership: “Let’s redefine tech innovation so everyone contributes and belongs. We are an all-island movement changing the narrative about what a tech innovator looks like, who has credibility, and who has the potential to create world-changing solutions.”
Murray emphasised that with AI transforming technology development, coding skills are no longer a barrier to entry. “This is our moment to harness tech to solve the world’s biggest challenges,” she added.
Keynote speaker Kelly Vero, game developer and metaverse pioneer, delivered a rallying call: “There is no turning back. The real history of technology is a story of women rising alongside advancement. It’s time to write the next chapter loudly, visibly, and without apology.”
Elaine Patterson from InterTradeIreland highlighted the importance of the awards: “Today’s Breakthrough Awards celebrate the remarkable achievements of our TechFoundHer Innovation Labs participants. It’s crucial that women innovators are recognised and placed in the spotlight, and these awards underscore how hands-on programs like Innovation Labs can accelerate diverse tech solutions.”
Driven by purpose
Founded in Dublin in 2024 and launched in Belfast the same year, TechFoundHer is a women-led, purpose-driven organisation supporting women founders to develop tech solutions through events, training, and access to investment and networks. Its mission is to reimagine innovation acceleration and empower women to build and lead in tech.
The awards spotlight the significant progress these women made in just 12 weeks through the Innovation Labs programme, which is supported by InterTradeIreland through the Shared Island Enterprise Scheme, in collaboration with Invest Northern Ireland and Enterprise Ireland.
Dublin City Council served as Headline Sponsor for the third consecutive year, with InterTradeIreland as Lead Sponsor. Additional support came from Network Sponsors U.S. Bank Europe and Enterprise Ireland, while WITS (Women in Technology & Science Ireland), BlockW, and Nigma MVP Development Specialists joined as Catalyst Sponsors.
Main image at top: Elaine Patterson, Intertrade Ireland, with winners of the TechFoundHer Breakthrough Awards Victoria Finlay, Founder of MenoPal, Shelley Cowan, Founder of Travel Ease, Claire Brannigan, Founder of Skinakin and Mairin Murray, CEO TechFoundHer
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